A big disappointment over the years has been the relative failure of setting up institutions and practices to help encourage people to become involved in politics in a more sustained fashion. Despite some different noises at the time, post-2004 the Kerry campaign apparatus basically fell apart. And while OFA exists, it's really nothing close to what it could have been. There have been some successes, such as MoveOn and DFA, but overall things seem to peak at election time and disappear.
Anyway, I guess it's been a disappointment because at times there have been good ideas and good efforts, but then for various reasons they seem to just shrivel up. Political involvement is mostly an illusion, it's mostly about making people feel involved just enough that they don't feel completely disconnected from the process. That is to say, it shouldn't be that hard.
